In Nevada race, GOP holds early edge

Republicans are far outpacing Democrats in two key locales in Nevada’s Sept. 13 House special election, according to voting data released Tuesday.

In Reno’s Washoe County, the most populous county in the 2nd District, Republicans account for 52 percent of the voters who have cast ballots early, compared with just 37 percent who have been Democrats. In Carson City, the state’s capital, the disparity is even greater: Republicans are out-voting Democrats 58 percent to 30 percent. In both places, the rate of Republican voting is out-performing party registration rates.

Text Size

-

+

reset

POLITICO 44

The northern Nevada-based seat being sought by Republican Mark Amodei and Democrat Kate Marshall historically favors Republicans — it has a strong plurality of GOP registered voters. And Democrats acknowledge that the early figures paint an ominous picture for Marshall, a secretary of state who has taken steps to distance herself from the national Democratic Party.

“Big advantage to the Republicans so far,” said Dan Hart, a Nevada-based Democratic consultant. “This weekend, the Democrats need to move a lot of votes to stay in it.”

James Hallinan, a Marshall spokesman, shrugged off the early vote totals, arguing that GOP voters aren’t necessarily turning out to cast ballots for Amodei, a former state Republican Party chairman.

“The numbers from the first day are just that. Just because there are Republicans voting doesn’t mean they are voting for Amodei,” he said. “We feel very good. Kate’s message is what Nevadans want.”

The early advantage comes as welcome news for national Republicans, who have suffered a string of dispiriting losses in special elections for GOP-held seats that they were expected to prevail in — most recently in a May race for a western New York district. Over the past several weeks, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the GOP-aligned American Crossroads have launched a vigorous campaign to protect the seat, spending nearly $1 million on TV ads hammering Marshall and attempting to tie her to President Barack Obama.

Amodei is also getting some help from Brian Sandoval, the state’s popular first-term governor, who has cut a new TV ad saying the GOP nominee would “always do the right thing for Nevada.”

“It’s early but so far, the results are very encouraging for Mark Amodei. Republicans are motivated but Democrats aren’t enthusiastic about Harry Reid’s hand-picked candidate,” said Peter DeMarco, an Amodei spokesman. “Kate Marshall is too liberal for this district and so far, the numbers confirm that.”

Republicans are hopeful the early vote totals will have a chilling impact on national Democratic groups who have yet to be convinced that the contest is worth investing in.

“I think it’s a very good sign for Amodei. It keeps Democrats on the sidelines for the entire race,” said Robert Uithoven, a GOP consultant in the state. “No news is good news for Amodei.”

The GOP early vote edge in part reflects a concerted push by the Amodei campaign to get its supporters to the polls before Election Day. DeMarco said the campaign was encouraging Republican voters, through mail, phone-banking and precinct-walking to vote early.

It sure didn't help the Nevada Dems any when Obama warned people against coming to Las Vegas in an economic downturn. Big corporations received that message loud and clear.A whole lot of them canceled their conventions in Nevada in favor of places like Des Moines and Cleveland. Thousand of Nevada workers in the hospitality industry were thrown out of work because of what Obama had said. And now the Dems want their votes? After losing their jobs? How stupid is that? Steve Wynn is going nuts over Obama giving Nevada the shaft. Can't say that I blame him.